chapter 3 Flashcards
adaptation
the acquisition of advantageous traits that allow a species population to better survive in its environment.
acclimation
an individual organism’s changes in response to an altered environment.
natural selection
refers to the process by which individuals with useful traits pass on those traits to the next generation, while others reproduce less successfully.
critical factor
the single factor that is in the shortest supply is the (blank) in determining where a species lives.
tolerance limits
each environmental factor has both minimum and maximum levels, called (blank), beyond which a particular species cannot survive or is unable to reproduce.
indictor species
is an organisms whose sensitivities can tell about environmental conditions in an area.
ecological niche
describing both the role played by a species in a biological community and the set of environmental factors that determine its distribution.
generalist
large ranges, omnivorous, wide range of environmental tolerances. examples: black bear, raccoon, wild grape.
specialist
small ranges, specialized diet, narrow range of environmental tolerances. examples: sand skink, florida scrub ray, ghost orcid.
endemic species
they inhabit one specific type of environment.
competitive exclusion
refers to the principle that no two species can occupy the same ecological niche for long.
speciation
over time, a population becomes more adapted to its ecological niche and develops distinctive traits that eventually differentiate it entirely from its biological relatives. caused by geographic isolation and time.
allopatric speciation
speciation that occurs as a result of geographically separated populations.
sympatric speciation
speciation that occurs as a result of behavioral isolation.
selective pressure
is the general term for factors that modify a species’ traits.
taxonomy
is the study of types of organisms and their relationships.
bacteria
cells have no membrane around the nucleus.
archaea
DNA differs from bacteria and cell functions allow them to survive in extreme environments.
eukarya
cells do have a membrane around the nucleus and split into 4 kingdoms. those are animals, plants, fungi (molds and mushrooms), and protists (algae, protozoans, slime molds).
competition
is an antagonistic relationship within a biological community. all organisms compete for resources. plants compete for space, sunlight, water, nutrients. animals compete for living, nesting, and feeding sites.
intraspecific competition
competition among members of the same species.
interspecific competition
competition among members of different species.
predator
any organism that feeds directly on another living organisms. carnivores, herbivores, and omnivores.
predator-mediated competition
a superior competitor in a habit builds up a larger population than its competing species; predators take note and increase their hunting pressure on the superior species, reducing its abundance and allowing the weaker competitor to increase its numbers.
coevolution
refers to the close adaptation of two species based on biological relationships.
batesian mimicry
harmless prey species use this to resemble different species that may be poisonous or bad-tasting.
mullerian mimicry
refers to two unpalatable or dangerous species evolve to look alike. when predators learn to avoid both species, they both benefit.
symbiosis
refers to a relationship between two or more species who are intimately linked. often the result of coevolution.
mutualism
a symbiotic relationship in which both species clearly benefit.
commensalism
refers to a relationship where one member clearly benefits and the other is neither benefited or harmed.
parasitism
refers to a relationship where one member benefits and the other is harmed.
keystone species
plays a critical role in a biological community that is out of proportion to its abundance.
exponential
growth without limits.
carrying capacity
(restricted growth) refers to the number of animals that can be supported (without harvest) in a certain area of habitat. limits exponential growth. tied to limited resources.
logistic growth
when exponential growth is slowed or altered as the carrying capacity of the environment changes, the rate of population growth changes resulting in (blank).
density-dependant factors
crowding, resource scarcity, spread of disease are considered (blank).
r-selected species
high reproductive rate, high growth rate, little parental care, high mortality of offspring. examples: houseflies, sea turtles, mice.
k-selected species
long generation times, late sexual maturity, few young, slow growth rate. examples: primates, elephants, whales.
type I
high survivorship for juvelines
types II
uniform mortality throughout lifespan.
type III
high mortality for juveniles and few individuals reach maturity.
diversity
the number of different species in an area.
abundance
the number of individuals of a particular species (or group) in an area.
community structure
refers to the spatial patterns or distribution of individuals, species, and populations.
core habitat
refers to a relatively uniform habitat that is free from the influences of edges.
complexity
refers to the number of trophic levels in a community and to the number of species at each of those trophic levels.
primary productivity
refers to the production of biomass by photosynthesis and is a major factor contributing to resilience.
stability
complexity and resilience lead to (blank), a system’s ability to resist change, despite a disturbance, and support the same species in about the same numbers as before the disturbance.
climax community
refers to the community that developed last and lasted the longest. it contains the maximum possible complexity and stability.
organismal communities
results from species replacing each other in predictable groups and in a fixed, regular order.
individualistic communities
are the results of an unpredictable process resulting from many variables. species are individualistic, each establishing in an environment according to its own ability to colonize, tolerate the environmental conditions, and reproduce there.
succession
the process in which organisms occupy a site and change its environmental conditions, gradually making way for another type of community.
primary succession
occurs when land that is bare of soil - sandbar, rock, volcanic flow - is colonized by living organisms where none lived there before.
pioneer species
are the first ones to colonize a new environment (mosses, lichens, microbes) and can stand the harshest environment with the fewest resources.
secondary succession
occurs after a disturbance, when a new community develops from the biological legacy of the previous one.
disturbance
is any force that disrupts the established pattern of species diversity and abundance, community structure, or community properties.
disturbance-adapted species
areas that undergo periodic disturbances are comprised of communities of (blank).
